204 A&tronomical and ynnUiad Culkctioiis. 



as much as is so applied by our continental nei;^libours, we 

 should probably have a much g:reater abundance of scienti- 

 fic materials than we have hitherto produced : but it is very 

 questionable whether the increase of quantity would be of any 

 advantage, without a commensurate improvement of the quality 

 of the product. 



3. P. iii. — " When Dr. Maskelyne edited the Nautical Al- 

 manac, he used to insert a copious list of such conjunctions of 

 the moon and stars as would probably be attended with occulta- 

 tion, a practice which has unfortunately been discontinued for 

 some years. In the Nautical Almanac for 1824, however, 

 something like the same object has been revived in another 

 manner. Twenty-three of the principal stars in the moon's 

 path have been selected, the times of their conjunction v;ith the 

 moon are given, and the elements for computing the expected 

 occultations are annexed. The present wants of astronomers 

 require, however, a more ample list. Since this sheet was put 

 to the press I have seen a letter from a very distinguished 

 navigator, wherein he states that occultations of fixed stars by 

 the moon, as far as the fourth magnitude, are easily observable 

 at sea, and he regrets that no notice is taken of them in any 

 nautical work." 



It ought perhaps to have been stated by the editor of the 

 Nautical Almanac for 1815, which was printed in 1811, that 

 the conjunctions of the moon with the smaller stars had been 

 left out by the express order of Dr. Maskelyne, in conformity 

 with a resolution of the Board of Longitude. It is, however, 

 remarkable enough, that there was a mistake of many minutes 

 in the longitudes of several of the larger stars communicated at 

 the same time by Dr. Maskelyne to the computers ; and yet 

 that no practical astronomer had discovered the errors which 

 pervaded the conjunctions inserted from 1815 to 1821, a suffi- 

 cient proof that little or no use was made of these conjunctions 

 for actual observation. With respect to the stars " selected," 

 that is, by the moon herself, for 1824, it is unfortunate for Mr. 

 Bully's censure that they should compreliend precisely a/Z those 

 which the " very distinguished navigator" has found to be 

 observable at sea, and surely to insert any others would lead to 

 an endless waste of time, and paper, and printing. 



4. P. 1 1. Note. — " It may be useful here to state that, although 

 the quantity 0,"31 has been added to the mean right ascensions 

 at the end of the Nautical Almanac for 1823, yet the apparent 

 places, in the same work, are computed without that addition, 

 a circumstance which ought to have been noticed. Moreover 

 it is not mentioned from what catalogue the apparent north 

 polar distances are calculated, which is also equally necessary, 

 since they are really o^ no use without that information." 



The page of stars is generally sent to press after all the rest 



